HELP Committee releases wide-ranging reform bill

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee released a 615-page bill aimed at overhauling the insurance industry, spurring healthier lifestyles, boosting quality among the provider community, and snuffing out fraud and abuse in government programs.

The bill, the first one inked by Democrats to emerge in a crowded field on Capitol Hill, would also require insurance companies to cover every American, even if they are already sick or are genetically inclined to become so in the future. Other provisions include money to help defray the cost of uncompensated care; a program to help identify and tamp down hospital readmission rates; and measures aimed at making the everyday person a better consumer of healthcare services.

Called the Affordable Health Choices Act, the bill would extend Medicaid eligibility to those with incomes at 150% of the federal poverty level, and would increase the federal governments share of the program to 100% for a period of time to help pay for the cost of the expansion.

Additionally, the legislation would create state-run gateways, or health insurance marketplaces, that would allow individuals and families a wide array of health plan options. The bill also includes a raft of provisions to help improve long-term and home-based care. The bill, however, does not immediately include provisions that would create a public health plan or that would require employers to offer coverage or pay a new tax.

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